1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)? - answer-Robert Walton
2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? - answer-He is writing to Margaret, his sister.
3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What are his plans? - answer-When Walton writes Le...
Frankenstein Study Guide
1. Who is writing Letter 1 (and all the letters)? - answer-Robert Walton
2. To whom is he writing? What is their relationship? - answer-He is writing to
Margaret, his sister.
3. Where is Robert Walton when he writes Letter 1? Why is he there? What
are his plans? - answer-When Walton writes Letter 1 he is at the St.
Petersburg. He is there because he needs to hire a crew for his ship. Plans to
sail to the North Pole in order to discover magnetisms' secrets.
4. What does Robert Walton tell us about himself? - answer-Self educated,
loves to read, father died, loves adventure and discovery. Wishes he had a
friend along to share it with.
5. Where is Walton now? What do you think of Walton's question "What can
stop the determined heart and resolved will of man"? - answer-Walton is
sailing to the north. Walton's question shows his faith in the Romanticism.
Emotion over reason
6. How much time has elapsed between Letter 3 and Letter 4? What "strange
accident" has happened to the sailors? - answer-One month has gone by.
The ship is trapped in ice and fog
7. Why does the man picked up by the ship say he is there? What shape is he
in? - answer-He says he is looking for the one who fled from him. He asks for
which direction the ship is sailing. He is near death and very weak.
8. What sort of person does he seem to be? How does Walton respond to this
man The man appears to be mysterious. - answer-"This person" is Victor:
Educated, well-spoken, refined. Walton is fascinated by him.
9. How much time has elapsed when Walton begins writing again? What has
happened in the meantime? How does the man respond to Walton's project?
How is Walton responding to the man? - answer-Walton begins writing the
biography of this man the very next day. This man has slowly regained his
strength and his health. The man tells Waldon that his quest for knowledge
and and his project will end in misery. Walton becomes intrigued and wants
to hear his side of the story.
10. How much time has elapsed when Walton begins writing again ? What
has happened in the meantime? How does the man respond to Walton's
project? Why does the man agree to tell his story? - answer-The man agrees
, to tell his story because he can see that Walton is looking for knowledge as
he once was. Victor hopes that it won't end in a disaster for Walton as it did
for him.
11. What is the man's background? (Do we know his name yet?) Where is he
from? - answer-We don't know his name. He is from Geneva, Switzerland. He
was greatly loved and adored by his parents.
12. What is the story of the man's mother, Caroline Beaufort? How does the
man feel toward his parents, and what responsibilities does he feel they had
toward him? - answer-Caroline's father and Frankenstein Sr, were friends.
Once Caroline's father died Caroline married Frankenstein Sr. Victor's mother
died. He loved his parents. He felt as though it was his parents responsibility
to raise him the right way. Holds his parents responsible for his sadness and
happiness.
13. Who is Elizabeth Lavenza and what is her story? What gift does the
man's mother give him? Do we know the man's name yet? Do we know his
family name? - answer-Victor's parents adopted Elizabeth Lavenza, she was
an orphan. The man's mother gave him Elizabeth. This is the first time that
we figure out Victor's name. We don't know his family name.
14. Who is Henry Clerval and what is his relation to Victor? - answer-Henry
Clerval is Victor's childhood best friend. He is the son of a merchant from
Geneva.
15. How does Victor characterize the interests and characters of Clerval,
Elizabeth, and himself? - answer-Clerval was interested in romantic
literature. He acted in plays with Victor. He was intrigued in being moral.
Elizabeth was captivated by poetry but she didn't want to learn it. Victor was
always intrigued by science, always wanted to learn more.
16. Who is Cornelius Agrippa and how does Victor find out about him? How
does Victor's father respond, and how does Victor comment on that
response? - answer-Cornelius Agrippa is a scientist that studied alchemy.
Victor finds out about him by reading a book. Victor's father says that
Agrippa's work is nonsense. The books are unscientific and outdated.
17. What sort of science ("Natural Philosophy") is Victor learning from
Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus? How would a modern scientist
respond to this sort of thinking? - answer-Victor is learning alchemy from
Magnus, Agrippa and Paracelsus. Modern scientists would believe that this
thinking is silly. Goal was to find the fountain of youth.
18. What happens when Victor sees an oak tree destroyed by lightning and
hears an explanation? What does Victor then begin to study? - answer-When
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller TOPDOCTOR. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $12.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
